Foes of oil and gas drilling in state parks launch new effort

Friday

May 18, 2012 at 4:00 AM

By Marc Kovac Review Capital Bureau

COLUMBUS -- Opponents of plans to drill for oil and gas in state parks launched a new effort Thursday, with hopes of educating the public about the potential negative environmental impact of fracking and increased commercial logging.

The Coalition to Protect Ohio Parks (online at www.protectohiosparks.org) includes involvement of the Sierra Club, the Buckeye Forest Council and Mohican Advocates.

Its goal: Educate the public and provide a means for Ohioans to push for better protections for the state's natural areas.

"We believe Ohioans are in for a big surprise," said Jack Shaner, deputy director of the Ohio Environmental Council. "When Ohioans go out to get away from it all, they're going ... to be discovering drilling rigs, waste pits, haul roads, compressors, pipelines. ... These will be the new wonders of our state parks."

He added, "We're going to need lots of eyes and ears out there, (because) the public is in for a ride, the likes of which have been never seen before."

The coalition was unveiled during a press conference at the Statehouse.

But state officials discount some of the concerns being raised, saying no parks are in position for imminent drilling, that the state will offer leases that ensure minimal disruption to park surroundings and that a state panel that will oversee mineral leases hasn't even been formed yet.

"I don't think you'll see someone drilling for oil or gas in a state park for quite some time," said Carlo LoParo, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. "Not for a while."

Last year, lawmakers passed and Gov. John Kasich signed into law legislation to create a state oil and gas leasing commission to oversee the leasing of state-owned land for the exploration and production of oil and natural gas.

Members will consider the environmental, geologic, tourism and other impacts before finalizing leases.

Kasich is expected to announce appointments to the new commission in coming weeks.

Proceeds from leases, signing fees, rentals and royalty payments will be used to purchase land or make improvements to parks and other state property. The bill specifically exempts state nature preserves from drilling and requires a 21-day public notice before the new oil and gas leasing commission takes final action on a project. Additionally, 30 percent of lease proceeds will have to be directed to the parks where oil and gas exploration is occurring.

Environmental groups, who opposed the legislation and remain opposed to drilling in parks, believe the state has already picked the parks and forests where it plans to allow drilling, citing information contained in emails and other documents obtained from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, via a public records request.

Loraine McCosker of the Sierra Club's Ohio chapter said other documents show the involvement of oil and gas industry officials in developing lease terms and conditions for park drilling. Environmental groups and park users were left out of the discussion, she said.

"This is a violation of the public trust," she said, adding that drilling in parks would destroy "the very lands that are a foundation of our state, our future health and our economic prosperity."

State Rep. Denise Driehaus, a Democrat from Cincinnati, said allowing drilling and particularly fracking in the state's public natural areas will have long-lasting negative impacts.

"It does boggle the mind that we would go into parks and drill," she said. "Of all places. ... Is nothing sacred? Do we not value anything by way of our lands in Ohio where we allow fracking to go in and adulterate that land?"

But LoParo said nothing has been set in stone, rule-wise, concerning drilling for oil and gas in state parks or other state-owned lands or which parks or forests could be affected.

On the latter, he said state officials are still trying to determine who owns the mineral rights at some state sites, and federal restrictions will prevent drilling at others.

"We're putting together our proposals and looking at what state lands are feasible for oil and gas exploration," LoParo said. "But we're going to do it responsibly; we're going to do it with protecting the environment."

He added, "(There's) certainly no plans to place oil derricks on state parks."

Marc Kovac is the Dix Capital Bureau chief. Email him at mkovac@dixcom.com or on Twitter at OhioCapitalBlog.